Welcome to the Northern
Virginia Osteoporosis
Support Group

Why We Meet
As a service to the community, we host the Northern
Virginia chapter of The National Osteoporosis Foundation
osteoporosis support group. All support group meetings are
free of charge and open to the general public. 

When And Where 
Unless otherwise noted, all of our support group
meetings are held on the 1st Tuesday of the month from
6:30 to 7:30 pm at:

Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc.
483 A Carlisle Drive
Herndon, VA 20170
703-464-5171

Please make reservations for ALL support group
meetings ensuring adequate educational materials,
hand-outs and refreshments.

What Your Diagnosis Means
A diagnosis of osteoporosis means it's time to pay more
attention to your body. Making simple lifestyle changes can 
stop your bone loss and improve your health. Our support
group provides vital information and resources so you can
make the right changes easier and faster. You'll also have
other people to talk to about your bones and your health,
so you don't have to feel scared and alone.

Balance is the Key
The same lifestyle changes necessary for prevention also
work for a cure. Our group takes a proactive approach and
uses the meetings to provide cutting edge healthy lifestyle
information. Because support is so important to a cure, we
also offer "Bone Buddies" ^TM a partner based support program.

Lifestyle Changes Are Critical for Cure
Osteoporosis is one of easiest health conditions to control. Starting
early is the absolute best way to avoid the health complications associated
with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis prevention is also multi-generational...
something the whole family can do. We invite all ages to participate in our
educational offerings and bone strengthening activities. Being physically active,
eating well and reducing stress not only builds strong bones but also reduces
the incidence of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression and cancer.  

No Magic Bullets
There are no "magic bullets" when it comes to bone strength. Remember, no one
supplement, activity or lifestyle change will fix your osteoporosis. We have found
it takes a balanced and combined effort of not 1 but 6 major lifestyle changes
to improve bone strength.

The "Big 6 For Healthy Bones"
Each person is an individual so your osteoporosis program will depend on many
factors such as previous fracture history, DEXA numbers and lifestyle history.
Our goal is to help you strengthen your bones with a minimum or no medications.

These lifestyle changes are:  

1. A diet that contains 50% fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies contain
greater amounts of water and minerals with generally lesser amounts of
animal protein.
2. Adequate water intake for maximum hydration. Water is very important
helping the kidneys regulate pH and detoxify the body.
3. Daily stress reduction activities. This helps lower cortisol and homocysteine
levels (total body inflammation) reducing calcium loss.
4. Year round vitamin D3 levels in the 50-80 ng/mL (or 125-200 nM/L).
These levels should be confirmed by regular 25-hydroxyvitamin D testing.
5. Progesterone levels to be 0.3 to 0.5 ng/ml. This should be confirmed by
regular salivary progesterone testing.
6. Sufficient weight bearing exercise to stimulate balance and muscle growth.
This is essential for bone strengthening and fall prevention.

"Healthy Bodies Make Healthy Bones"

Why are Healthy Bones So Important?
Without strong and healthy bones, fractures can develop in your spine and hips.
Fractures increase your chance of losing mobility and decreasing the quality of life as
you mature. Current osteoporosis prevention and treatment approaches wait too
long for intervention allowing your bones to lose calcium to critical levels before
prevention starts. 

How Your Bones Rebuild
Your bones are constantly gaining and losing calcium. Osteoporosis only occurs when
your bones lose calcium faster than they gain it. Physical activity, healthy eating,
proper supplementation and low stress living are all important in strong, healthy
bones. Here's how all the components work together:

• Weight bearing exercises stimulate your bones to demand and absorb
  calcium and phosphorus
• Calcium and phosphorus rich foods provide your bones with natural
  sources of essential minerals 
• Nutritional supplements supply important companion nutrients, such
  as vitamin D, for maximum calcium absorption and retention
• Stress reduction keeps cortisol levels at normal levels  minimizing
  calcium loss and promoting proper hormone balance 

Like Mother Like Daughter
Maximum bone density is reached at age 20. Teach your daughters good bone
health behavior... keep them from falling into unhealthy behavior cycles at a
young age. Be Bone Strong! is a great way to spend quality time while you teach
your daughters to choose healthy foods, reduce stress and make being physically
active as normal as brushing their teeth. Have fun as a family learning to cook
healthy meals, participate in physical activity and develop healthy body images.
Most importantly, set the example and show your daughters how to grow up to
be healthy adults.

Mind and Body
High stress living creates elevated cortisol levels in your body depleting calcium
from your bones and negatively affecting your heart, immune system and metabolism.
Strengthening both your body and mind is not just good for healthy bones; it ensures
your long term health as well. Getting your stress levels under control balances
hormones, maintains normal calcium levels in your bones and restores overall
good health.

Show Me How to Be Bone Strong! >>>

Medical Research supports the health benefits gained from making healthy lifestyle
choices. Preventing Osteoporosis, Heart Disease, Depression, Arthritis, Diabetes and
Obesity are all attributable to healthy changes. A healthy lifestyle also has a profound
effect on your happiness and quality of life. Have fun as you take aim at a healthier
lifestyle. Strive to feel better physically and mentally... put our combined experience
to work for you!